Chicago police say gun violence in the city continues to drop this year.

The department says in a news release that there have been significant decreases in both the number of homicides and number of shooting incidents in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.

The department says 146 homicides have occurred so far in 2018 — 42 fewer than the same period last year. During the same period the number of shooting incidents has dropped from 810 to 595. The number of shooting victims has fallen from 1,014 to 710.

Police say the decline in gun violence that began in early 2017 coincides with the expanded use of technology that helps officers better identify areas where crimes might occur and respond quicker to shooting incidents.